Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 9 : Construction of the cultural centre, 1977-1981

rE'S CULTURA SHOWPLACE 11'111'-' CUlth 1•c>1 let b) n crnment .,,n of a ,,1 budget 0 million. rl\Cccding 1,1"i dclcr· 1ith cost a nribut• icing the 1111ion. rovirling ' IICOI Op· portunilic, ,tnJ ,111 t..,llllllll.11' lo Ju Ml :, .rn cA:imph:, 1hl· bu11it ing pro~1.1111 \\Ill ,11\lllH· ..,,,11,...• 2.500.000 man· h>111 rs 1:411t\ak111 tu 1hc..· ,·111pl,1 111t·111 of JOO 111cn h1r IH C h r,,~ In uddi1111n, 170,000 tonne, of c,rncrctc. I 1.000 1unnc~ of steel and 350 tonne uf aluminium wi ll be used. the productinn :t nil fa bricatinn of which is pr11viding f11rthcr c111pl11) oncnt . In 19k4. 1;•hcn th,· centr e" lu ll\ opcr.111,,u.1I. 1t •~ a11· llL ll'~ll l"d I h .11 \UIIC (,()(J pcrr11J11c111 , 1.df \l,,dl lll: CIII· pl.l\ c.t• .,, \\ ell a, up 11, 100 t'a,ua l" f"hc .:ultural .:cntrc will fi ll ., lung-fel t need 111 1hc cultu ral l1fr uf llri,ba11,·. but ii will :--crvc the nccd, not only uf 1>ur c.1 pital. but th1.· 'ii ate ,li,. a \\ )htk· For thi!\ rca!\nn. 11 h:o been rightl , tk~i gnah:d lhL" "Qucc11, la11d'" C11 lt ural ( \:-111re It i, the go, 1 crn1111.:111 'i,. w1~h Iha t a~ 111,111) ()uccrh– landcr, .1> pu,,iblc t.,~c ad· 1 1an1 agc of lh hl·rn:li llol ThL' \.;tJ111:cpt i" ;111 imagi n.1 - 1.ivc 011c. a nd 1111,,c l'OIICcrnL"J wi1h itlol 11npkrnL"1\1:i tm11 ,ire cnthu,1~li,.llc .unt dcd iL"a tcd pc,,plc. The prnJcl°t i, trul cxdting. \\lith its rivcr ,cu ing. a hac~drup uf Ml c,.11-Tha ,,nd 1hc Ta ylur Range. 1ra 11• quil walkwuy, . t1pcn areas a 11d uc~t hcl il·a II 1.ksigru.:d ~lruc1url'!., thL" centre ,, ill <!wards (centre! inspects the progress on the Queensland rat Centre with architect, Robin Gibson and the chairman of the 01M911sland Cultural Cantre Trust, Sir David Muir. Oulturnl 901Ulety 5Cheduled lo open on Septcm– ~ 15. -~tnrJudcs an_arL sallery, I\ . 45 -seat audrtorlum. n 1;!0-, r•t restnurant nnd a. 500•space cnr• park. 'l'he Rrl gallcn · 1~ §i'{ llll.lCI 11te size or Lh~ pre.sent~ llrnaA'i'LOiiner . - bcr. 1983, nncl n S l1lit' 1lbrar,· 101\'Rrds the end of IPR4. \\'Ill complclr. t lw cent I'(', Sir D R\'ld, \\'Ill.I 111.,pc,·lerl prn ~ rrs~ ~-c~tcrciR~ \\ 11 h 1hr Drp11ty Prclllll'I' nnri T rrn:--i:rr··. I r Edwu rc1 ... s111ct ron..,1rutt.011 wn~ nn scllrd11lr ) I' Ed\\':trcl '-11.<l 1hr 1·1•11l l•' wo11 ld ··:,,t1rpa..,_"'1 ,1t1yt l11n.! n 11, k111cl cl.,,,,, Jw1<' 111 .;\11. 11•,1!..i " Expert 01)1111011 brllt'\(':-, ll1t" f·c n re ,, 111 tukr 1l pi:1r1! H11101ar Ille flnP~t ~ur11 , 11111 - pl :,.:,-., 11round thr \\(1r ld. • n i– Eclwn rd~ $:tltl indeed be a ,upcrb ~h,1,, – picce, Hut more 1ha11 tha t, It "'II uffcr a gc1111ind ) riH11llh.:d complex ,,f l'ullu ral cx pL"r- 11.:n..:-c for IIIL' IIHlu!"l:tUd, ,1f p,:upk "h,J will visi1 rl cad1 year. A l the l):tlllc 11111c. ii " ill do hunor tu 1lur ,1rli/\l~. ,,ur performers anti our ~cholar1' Ut•puly l'remier and Treasurer Dr f:.h,ards nil field• .i. have to The centre's perform111~ art~ romplrx. includlnA " :.!O00•rirnL concert hRll, a. :.?000•sr.•.L Jyrl\; theatre and " 200-scnL studio thcntrc. LS experted 10 be cum– p I e t r d berore thr Oorn- 111onwcn II h Oa mes open rn O • t.oher next. )Car. A new Qt1ce1is111.nd l\tu~eurn due for completion by Septr111· 110 \ 1 ~ 11 •;;r_~ 1;\';/ 1 t'/:; ~~-','.'.','.,'.'·:'t,; 1 ; ~ TH:: QllHNSLAND Cu ltural Centre Trus t <ll1 c<·1or 110111,1 he 1111rncrt , 0011 dcpuly Premi e r, Dr Edwards. . tnge ,~ IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'II11111111111111111111111111 First stage of 1he Queensland Cultural Ce nlre is be hind sche dule and millions of dollars over budget. The ron1 plcl ion dale ror s1.1cc on•. which In– cludes the audllorlurn , nrt sallery and rlvcrslde rcslaurnut. was Jnrrnnry. But lt's running six months h •hind schedule und will not be complet– ed until rnld-July. The orl~lnnl cost hus jum1>e<I by $4.6 mllllon tu 23.0 mlllton - u 111assivc tncreus • or 24 per cent. The Minislcr for Works, Mr luudc Whnr– lon, suld •xtcnslons hnd been a llowed for legilt– mntc delays su"h as bad weather. Inflation He snld the cost In– crease was due solely_to Inflation. A blunkel of silence has surrounded the sur– prisingly uncontroversial first stage of the culturul "cntre since ronslructlon bcson In August 1978. Architect. Mr Robin Gibson ndmlllcd there had been u few prob• !ems, but he would not elaborate. -